Taking a course in energy conservation can significantly help MS patients avoid feelings of fatigue, according to data from a study published in the October issue of the journal Multiple Sclerosis.

The study, which included 169 participants with MS, examined the effect of attending a course on fatigue and energy conservation. The researchers evaluated the course's impact on fatigue, quality of life and self-efficacy in the patients with MS. The course included lessons on energy conserving techniques, such as proper methods for heavy lifting and evaluating priorities for daily activities.

According to researchers, taking the course had a significant impact on patients' physical and social subscales of the Fatigue Impact Scale and increased the vitality subscale of a separate questionnaire compared with those not taking the course. Those taking the course also significantly improved self efficacy, according to the results of a questionnaire that assessed energy conservation strategies, the authors noted.

"[T]his [energy conservation] course taught by occupational therapists is a legitimate nonpharmacological approach for managing fatigue for persons with MS," the authors concluded.